Akwa Kum Mbong Commissioned As CAMWATER Board Chair

By Njodzefe Nestor in Bamenda

Akwa Patrick Kum Mbong has taken over as CAMWATER Board Chair

A decree of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, on August 14, 2018, appointed Patrick Akwa Kum Mbong, as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation, CAMWATER and he was officially commissioned thereafter.

            Akwa’s appointment came after an extraordinary Board meeting held at CAMWATERS’ head office in Douala that same day.

            The native of Menchum Division, North West Region replaces former Minister Jerome Obi Eta, who had occupied the same post for several years.

            The new Board Chairman went on retirement a few weeks back after serving as Secretary General of the Ministry of the Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (MINEPDEP) for 12 years.

            On February 20 this year, Biya through a Presidential decree redirected the production, transportation and distribution of water to the portfolio of CAMWATER. It came after 10 years of unfruitful privatisation of the sector to the Moroccan company, Camerounaise des Eaux(CDE).

            After a series of consultations, CAMWATER effectively took over water distribution across Cameroon on April 30, 2018. Thus Akwa’s era as Board Chair is pregnant with expectation as Cameroonians continue to complaint of faulty potable water supply and high bills.

            The Menchum elite already installed into his functions same day at the end of a Board meeting holds a Masters Degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Reading, United Kingdom. He once served as Divisional Delegate of Agriculture for Menchum and later Provincial Supervisor of the National Agriculture and Research Programme for the North West and then 12 years as Scribe at the Environment Ministry.

            He obtained his Ordinary Level certificate at the Sacred Heart College, 1980 and the Advanced Level from the Cameroon College of Arts and Technology, CCAST Bambili in 1982.

            Three years later, Akwa graduated with a Higher National Diploma (HND) from the Bambili College of Agriculture.

            The author of several books and consultant aged 59 years is equally the Ba’atum (Ambassador) of Menchum Chiefs in Yaoundé. Akwa is the highest Menchum elite to have achieved such level since 1972. He is married and father of four.